Off topic: educational methods

[Patricia M Godfrey pmgodfrey@xxxxxxxx]

Since there don't seem to be any burning technical issues just now, I
wonder if I might ask some of the professors who frequent this list for a
comment or pointer or something? Besides being an editor, I teach English
grammar to other editors in courses offered by editorial professional
associations. What I do is hand out a series of sample sentences and
short paragraphs, ask questions ("Does anyone see any problem in the
first sentence?" "How would you fix it?"), and encourage discussion
(Socratic-Rabbinic-Confucian method). The problem is that the in last two
classes, no one wants to say anything. They just sit there, mumchance.
These are mature editors taking the course as a brush-up or "continuing
education," not timid undergrads. Is it, perhaps, that the current
economic situation has made people so terrified of antagonizing a boss
that they won't say boo to a goose? (Three years ago--2000--when I first
gave the course for this organization, they were all Clerkes of Oxenford,
enthusiastic and vocal.) Last year I even let them vote: Would you RATHER
sit and listen to me lecture, or shall we have discussion? They
unanimously voted for discussion, then sat there. Does this happen in
academe too? How can one deal with it? Or is it peculiar to professional
classes? If anyone can offer a suggestion, it will be gratefully
received, and if you're too busy and it's too far afield, my apologies.
Patricia